Finding better ways to stay organized, present complex legal principles and more efficiently use time is a constant process for many attorneys. It can be difficult to keep hundreds of pages of documents and reams of deposition transcripts straight as litigation progresses. Luckily, there is a legal or organizational app out there, just a click away on your iPad or tablet, that can help.
After checking in with some of our clients and colleagues, here is a list of eight apps that can help you get more done and stay organized while doing it.
GoodReader: If you’re reading legal documents or transcripts, a robust PDF reader app is a must. GoodReader enables you to read nearly anything anywhere you have your iPhone or iPad, whether its legal documents, deposition transcripts, books, maps or even movies. GoodReader also lets you sign PDF documents with just a few taps, plus markup documents with typewriter text boxes, sticky notes, freehand drawings, lines and arrows. It costs $4.99 and is available here.
iJuror: This is the app to use during voir dire to track and add juror information. Simply open the app and tap a picture of a seat and you can add information for up to 60 jurors. Faster than hand writing, iJuror stores all your information in one location and helps you discover patterns over time. As the trial progresses, you can easily add notes on jurors and email that information to your colleagues. It’s available in the App Store for $14.99 and available for your Android tablet on Google Play for $9.99.
TrialPad: When you need to be able to access and present trial documents from your iPad, TrialPad is the app you’re looking for. TrialPad includes presentation tools to call out sections of documents, highlight text, create side-by-side document comparisons and display (and edit) video clips. It also lets you add exhibit stickers to documents and search through documents for text. The app is built exclusively for iPad and costs $109.99.
Dropbox: Say goodbye to clunky FTP servers, flash drives and email attachments. Dropbox eliminates all that, helping you save everything in the cloud. And, as long as you have an Internet connection, you have access to your DropBox files. Storage levels vary from the 2 GB you get for free from Dropbox Basic, to the unlimited storage offered by Dropbox Business that runs $15 per user per month. The app is free and available both in the App Store and on Google Play.
LogMeIn – If you’re religiously saving files to your Dropbox account or your firm’s server, you have no need for LogMeIn. But let’s face it: Like most people, you’re probably an IT department nightmare that saves almost everything to your computer desktop. This also means that you’ve been stuck at least once needing one of those desktop files when you’re away from the office. LogMeIn is your insurance policy because it provides remote access to your PC or Mac. In addition to file transfer, the app also offers file sharing and remote printing. Helpfully, there is 24-hour/five-day-per-week phone support available for “Pro” users if you ever run into a snag. While the app is free and available in the App Store and on Google Play, the service costs between $149 and $649 annually depending on the number of computers you need to access.
Genius Scan: How many times have you been at the clerk’s office, at a client’s or in a deposition and wished you could quickly turn a physical document into a PDF? Genius Scan helps you do that by turning the camera on your phone or tablet into a scanner, saving the document as a JPEG or multi-page PDF file that you can quickly and easily export. Court reporters like it for its smart page detection and perspective correction, as well as the available fax service add-on. The cost is free in both the App Store and Google Play with a $6.99 upgrade available for both.
Notability: Combine handwriting, photos, sketching and typing to bring your projects to life. Add as much detail as you like with a variety of colors and fonts. Great for designing exhibits for presentations. Available exclusively in the App Store for $5.99.
Evernote: A favorite of list makers, Evernote helps you create lists, organize lengthy research, clip web articles, capture handwritten notes, and snap photos to keep the physical and digital details of your projects with you at all times. It also offers collaboration features like real-time sharing. Available at both Google Play and the App Store for free with in-app upgrades that range from $4.99 to $44.99.
In another related article, Advancements in Court Reporting Technology, we discuss a couple other technologies that assist attorneys in their depositions and legal proceedings.